1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the selection of monitor parameters, such as brightness and contrast parameters, which determine video display characteristics of video displays displayable upon a video display monitor of a computer system. More particularly, the present invention provides apparatus, and an associated method, in which the monitor parameters are stored at the video display monitor.
When the monitor parameters are stored at the video display monitor, the parameters can be factory-set and individualized for each video display monitor. A consistent picture quality of video displays displayable upon video display monitors of mass-produced computer systems, such as convergent devices, is possible. The values of the parameters required to produce a video display of selected characteristics upon every video display monitor can be set during factory testing of the video monitor. Also, video display monitors of different constructions, such as those manufactured by different manufacturers, can similarly also be caused to produce video displays of the selected characteristics irrespective of their source of manufacture.
During system start-up, i.e., system booting, the computer system unit retrieves the monitor parameters stored at the video display monitor. The retrieved monitor parameters are used to select the video display characteristics. Because the monitor parameters are unique to each video display monitor, a video display of consistent characteristics is assured.
An embodiment of the present invention is advantageously utilized in a convergent device, such as a television converged with a personal computer. A video display of characteristics, consistent for any video display monitor is provided, when the convergent device is operable in any of its operational modes.
2. Description of Related Art
Technological advancements in many varied technologies have permitted the development of many new types of, inter alia, consumer products as well as the improvement of existing products. The technical advancements precipitating such new, and improved, products are not necessarily in only discrete and disparate fields. Convergence of technologies, and the associated technological advancements in the respective technologies, have created synergies. Such synergies have permitted the introduction, and improvement, of yet additional products.
For instance, a much sought-after goal has been to achieve convergence of various information, entertainment, and communication technologies. Exemplary of this goal have been attempts to integrate computer technologies with consumer, communication technologies.
Efforts have been made, for instance, to create a single integrated device to be used for information processing, entertainment, and communications. Such a product would, for instance, utilize the available communications bandwidth and, further, utilize the mass storage and graphic handling capabilities of a personal computer to deliver, store, and display a variety of applications in a manner to provide a seamlessly-unified, audio-visual environment to a consumer of the product.
To assist in the realization of such a goal, efforts have been made to develop a video display monitor capable of presenting high-quality video displays thereon. Such a high-quality video display monitor is of better quality than display monitors typically associated with information processing devices, such as personal computers.
Conventionally, a personal computer display monitor is driven by personal computer video signals formed of three color signals--red, blue, and green and two sync signals--vertical and horizontal. Such conventional display monitors are typically not capable of displaying high-quality images usually expected in a consumer entertainment and communications unit, such as a conventional television. Conventional personal-computer display monitors create video displays generally considered to be of poor quality, exhibiting dullness and low contrast, relative to the video displays typically provided by a consumer home electronics and communications unit. Such problems stem, in part, because variable and selectable settings are generally not available on personal computer display monitors.
Conventionally, in the operation of a personal computer, parameters stored at the personal computer define the settings of the video display monitor and the resultant video displays displayable thereon. Such parameters thereby must be generic for every video display monitor. However, even when video display monitors are manufactured identically, manufacturing variances cause the displays displayable upon different video display monitors to differ, even when set with identical parameters.
A manner by which to provide better for consistency in the generation of video displays displayable upon video monitors of mass-produced computer systems would be advantageous. Such improved consistency would permit a video display of consistent characteristics, for a given input, by any video display monitor, irrespective of its manufacture.
When embodied in a convergent device, such as the aforementioned integrated device for information processing, entertainment, and communications decoupling of the video display monitor and the computer system unit would be permitted. Separate selection and purchase of the computer system unit and the video display monitor would be permitted. That is to say, the system unit and the video display monitor need not be commonly manufactured and sold together as a single unit. Instead, a video display monitor and the system unit could be separately manufactured and separately purchased. Consumer selection of the computer system unit and video display monitor, separately or together, as desired, would be permitted.
It is in light of this background information related to video display monitors, such as those used to form portions of convergent devices, that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.